Across the state, Maryland auto auctions offer clean title cars for sale. There are a lot of different sources that send cars to auction and not all of them include clean titles. This is an issue that a lot of people don’t think about when attending an auto auction in Maryland or anywhere else. To help you prepare for your next auction, here’s a quick look at why getting a clean title can be important as well as an overview of the Maryland auto auction scene.
At an auto auction, there are a number of different titles that could be attached to the vehicle. Along with a clean title, there are also rebuild titles, salvage titles, parts only, and even vehicles without a title at all. A clean title means that there are no liens on the vehicle, it has never been totaled out by an insurance company, and it can be legally bought, sold, tagged, and driven with no problems. In short, it is considered by most to be the safest option. There is also another option which is fairly safe, but it isn’t technically a clean title. These are cars with lien titles. Essentially an impound yard or towing company will place a lien on a car in order to have the legal right to sell it to recoup their costs. Once you purchase it at auction, they will give you a clean title because you are essentially paying the lien when you purchase the car from them.
The next safest title is known as a rebuild title. Vehicles with this title were at one time a salvage vehicle. The previous owner then rebuilds the car, had it tested by the state, and is now considered roadworthy. While this is close to a clean title, there’s always some risk because it is impossible to predict how well it was actually rebuilt.
If you are looking for Maryland auto auctions that offer clean title cars for sale, then the one thing you want to avoid are vehicles with salvage or parts only titles. Cars that have salvage titles have been totaled out by an insurance company. While it’s possible that these vehicles could be roadworthy with some repairs, the damage enough that it would be too expensive for the insurance company to fix it. Some common criteria that insurance companies use include significant engine damage, significant interior damage, and frame damage. Depending on the company, any time that the car gets an accident and the damage is more than 50% of the value of the vehicle, they will likely total it out and given a salvage title. The most important thing to keep in mind is that if a vehicle has a salvage title, you cannot legally drive it because it is not considered road pretty. You will absolutely have to pay for repairs before you can apply for a clean title.
If you are looking for Maryland auto auctions that offer clean title cars for sale, then there are two types of auction that you should avoid at all costs. Salvage auctions and insurance auctions both will have vehicles which either have salvage titles or are only good to be parted out. You will almost never find a car with a clean title at these auctions.
General public auctions are probably the most well-known, however if you choose to attend then make sure to get the title information before you bid. Since these auctions source their vehicles from everywhere, there is a good chance that at least some of the vehicles up for auction will be salvage vehicles.
The safest auctions to attend if you are only interested in cars with clean titles are repossession auctions, former leased vehicle auctions, and government auctions. While some vehicles in government auctions could have a salvage title, they are an exception rather than the rule.
There is no question that there are a number of Marilyn auto auctions that offer clean title cars for sale. The key is checking out the auction beforehand to find out what type of auction it is. Regardless of what type of auction you choose to attend, it is always a good practice to get a vehicle history reports on any car that you are interested in. This is because it is possible that a car has a clean title now, but it one point was a salvage vehicle.
